Spirit Awaken
by FireMystik
Summary: AU. GaaHina. Slight SasuHina. Given the burden of a powerful spirit, Hinata is sent away for the fear of loosing control. But when she is brought back, new turmoils and challenges await her, along with unexpected relationships and undesirable encounters.
1. Released

**Author's Note (Important): **Hello everyone. I just wanted to straighten out a few things before you start. This story was once posted on fanfiction about 3 to four years ago. I had written it with another account by the name of Gaara'aLove I believe (if not, than it was close) that soon changed to NativeSpirit42. I had deleted the story and any other story I had written under my old account. I did this because I was ashamed of my stories. I was going through a rough period in my life, and saw my stories as merely something I used as an outlet. I hated them as a result. But, my best friend recently had given me a binder of one of my stories, my best, actually, of all of them. I knew she had kept up with it, but I totally forgot she had printed the whole thing out. At the time, I didn't understand why she would give this to me. I honestly was afraid to read it.

After going through the first few pages, I deemed it a horrible story, as I original thought ..that is, until my dad had gotten his hands on it, to my utter horror. He only read the first page before I finally snatched it from him. We talked for a while, and he basically told me that I should not cast out this story. It is a part of me. It doesn't matter if I was different or wasn't completely 'right on' when I wrote it, that period of my life made me who I am today. So after that, I decided to read it. To really _read_ it this time. And to my amazement, I liked it. Obviously it needed revising and things altered, but it wasn't horrible. And I saw who I once was before through this story. So instead of running away from that, I decided to rewrite it, and actually finish it this time.

And it's funny, I've been having some severe writer's block lately. I mean, its been absolute hell. Until I was given this story that is.. And not because I have something to look at now, but because I've finally stopped running.

So I would like to dedicate this story to my best friend, Ashley, my dad, and every other person out there who has ever run away from themselves, whether it was their betters, or their worst.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, but I do own this story.**

Another note. This story is a 21st century slash Naruto theme with a twist in everything else.

* * *

**_Spirit Awaken_**

**_Chapter I_**

**_Released_**

* * *

_The night air stood still as a figure faced the edge, watching the life below her. She was so high..everything seemed so small and insignificant on the ground. There wasn't a care in the world down there, no great emergency, no need to rush.. All was peaceful._

_Hinata stepped closer to the edge, entranced by what was happening down there. She didn't even notice the presence behind her, or how it had become suddenly cold. She didn't notice, that is, until the figure spoke._

___"You're so close.." A voice called out behind her. She stiffened. The minute the voice called out to her, it seemed as if all tranquility and peace had left, and coldness and fear had come in place. Her eyes traveled back down to the ground. Cars and people no long littered the streets. It was desolated and abandoned. There was no life, only the memory of it._

_____"You're so close...to the edge. Can't you see it?" Her voice seemed to come close with every word. Hinata didn't dare look behind her, but simply looked forward. As the person behind her seem to come closer, the louder were her footsteps, and the more her body seemed to shake in response. Tears started to surface and fall from her pale cheeks. Fear radiated from her as stood there, still and unmoving._

_____The footsteps suddenly stopped, now standing directly behind Hinata. She gulped at the intruding presence._

_____A hand gently landed on her shoulder, and as it did, the feeling of this person's lips on her ear intruded her senses._

_____"It's only a matter of time Hinata..." The whisper brought goosebumps upon her, tingling her skin. The voice's other hand gently held her other shoulder as she leaned in forward, as if that when she spoke, it was only to be heard softly._

_____"All you need my hime..." The hands traveled down to the side of her arms. The hold though, didn't stay light. The hands started to grip harder, the fingers digging into her skin until blood seeped. "...is a little push!" The hands shoved Hinata right off of the tall building with a great, unnatural, force._

_____Everything seemed to go in slow motion then. As Hinata fell, a silent scream coming from her, her body turned to see the person who shoved her...only to see herself..._

_____Time speed up again, and Hinata flew straight down, going faster and faster towards the street, and all she could hear was the sickening laughter of her murderer._

_____Closer and closer she came to the ground, until finally..._

"NO!" She flung herself up, screaming into the night.

Labored breathing was all that was heard in the closed quarters. Beads of sweat dripped off of Hinata face, glistening in the moonlight that came from the small window. Her hands clutched the sheets, shaking slightly as her heart beat raced. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes, trying to block out her latest nightmare, but no matter how hard she tried, she could still see the face of her demise..could still see herself... She hugged herself for some comfort.

Hot tears started to flow from her eyes, staining her pale skin. She cried silently, scared and angry. There was no one to comfort her, no one to make sure she was ok. She had only herself. It was something she was used to, something that she had dealt with for years. But no matter how many times she told herself this, it never made things any better. If anything, it made it a lot worse. To know that your facing problems that was probably way over your head, with no one to back you up, really didn't comfort her in any way. But she has been faced with this truth ever since she was sent away from home. It might not have been a good home, but at least she had someone there for her.

Hinata sighed. She had finally calmed down, but refused to unleash her hold on herself. For her, it was as if she was keeping herself together. Her emotions clouded her mind to much, making her vulnerable. As long as she was calm and focused, she would be ok, and holding herself tightly was the only way she could remain calm at this moment.

Hours passed and Hinata never moved. She had refused to go back to sleep, fearing for another nightmare.

It wasn't long until the sun started to peek into the sky. A small amount of light seeped into the room through the window. Hinata glanced at the glass. Another night has passed, and another day has come.

How long has it been since she has had a full night's sleep? How long has it been since she was able to close her eyes without fear? Too long.

Something was going on. Her dreams were never this bad before, and never as frequent. There was no reason why her..problem..should be surfacing up this much.

Hinata mentally thought of everything that has happened of recent, anything that could of triggured all of this. She kept her emotions in check. It wasn't like she never showed them, but she wasn't over emotional as she used to be. It was too dangerous..

Nothing much in here happened much either..

Shaking her head, Hinata started to undo herself. Whatever it was, it couldn't last.

Her joints popped as she stretched herself out. Sighing into the feel of being loose again, she slid off of her bed and stood on the cool ground.

Her eyes traveled along the small room. It didn't consist of much. A bed, a small bedside drawer, a lamp on top of it, and a dresser on the far wall. It wasn't exactly a suite, but it was livable, and for Hinata, that's all that mattered. What else could she expect in a psychiatric hospital?

She smiled to herself at the thought. Who would have thought, the heiress to the Hyuga Clan, would end up in a mental hospital of all places? The smile disappeared though, at the thought of how she got here. Bitterness and despair raced though her at the memory.

Blinking hard, she turned abruptly and started making her bed, trying not to dwell on the past. It was hard.

Not much time went by before Hinata came out of her room, newly dressed and refreshed. Comfortable in her sweats and tee, Hinata started down the hall. Today before breakfast, she was to meet with her doctor. They did this every week, nothing special. She would be diagnosed whether she was still mentally ill, and then would be asked a series of questions. The routine really had no purpose. It didn't matter how 'sane' she acted, or much better she got, she would always be deemed unstable so she could be secluded here. Though the concept always confused her.

She was the longest staying patient they had, staying here for most of her life. It always irked her, but more than anything, it brung up the big question of 'why'. Why be in here for so long? She should of been released years ago. Trying to get out so many times before, she had come to the conclusion that it was impossible.. But that's the thing, getting out of here shouldn't be hard. She wasn't weak, not at all, but leaving here could be constituted as trying to escape a penitentiary, and it should _not_ be.

But at the moment, Hinata didn't want to dwell on it. The concept has always annoyed her, and she didn't want to deal with it right now.

She finally reached a glass protected counter with a woman with big glasses behind it. Hinata lightly knocked on the glass to get her attention.

The older woman looked up at the younger girl and smiled.

"Hello Hinata, how are you today?" Hinata smiled back.

"I'm fine, thank you. I'm here for my appointment?" Hinata inquired. The woman nodded her head.

"Yes, of course. She's ready for you." Hinata nodded her thanks and faced the double doors on her side. A big man, security of course, stood in front of the entrance, blocking any from leaving. His eyes went to the smaller figure and stepped aside so Hinata could pass. As she pushed the doors open, the man held the door open, watching her.

Hinata sighed. Of course he was only doing his job, making sure she didn't take off running somewhere, but it always seemed to her annoy her slightly.

Stopping at a large wooden door, she knocked before entering.

As Hinata emerged inside, she paused at the entrance. Instead of just her regular doctor, another person was here. A woman, obviously holding some kind of authority from the way she held herself, sat upright on a chair next to her doctor, a hard frown etched on her face. Her hand was clenched, and her fingers impatiently tapped the clip board she held. Everything about her screamed pissed.

The female doctor next to her also held a frown, but it wasn't anger, but worry. Her eyes caught Hinata, and a small smile came on her lips. Hinata's eyes narrowed as she stepped fully inside, closing the door behind her.

"Hinata, how are you today?" Came the smoothing sound of the doctor's voice.

"I'm ok.." Hinata said back, still wary of the extra presence.

The silence that came afterwards became horribly uncomfortable. The woman sitting on the chair decided to end it, and spoke out.

"Hinata Hyuga.." She stood then, facing the younger girl. "My name is Shei Takona." She out stretched her hand to the Hyuga heiress. Hinata looked at the hand, then back at the woman before finally shaking it back.

The woman sat back down and crossed her legs. She motioned to the seat across from her.

Taking the offered seat, Hinata sat upright, unable relax into the chair. She watched as the Takona woman pulled up her clip board, reading through it, and then finally glancing back at Hinata.

Sighing with frustration, Ms. Takona spoke. "Miss Hyuga, you were emitted here ten years ago under the prognosis that you were suffering from schizophrenia. Correct?"

Hinata nodded slowly, confirming her statement.

"Ten years.." Ms. Takona shook her head. "That's a long time Miss Hyuga. Most patients usually don't stay here any longer than three months." The woman kept her eyes on Hinata, making sure she could read every emotion that went across her face, but all that she saw was..nothing. She saw nothing, which, honestly, irritated her completely.

Hinata kept herself completely still and stoic. Whoever this woman was, she was looking for something. The way she spoke each word to the way her eyes stayed on her, trained and ready. But, what was the point?

Clearing her throat, Ms. Takona flipped a page on her clip board. "When you first arrived here at the age of eight, your symptoms were very easily shown. You were experiencing delusions and hallucinations, and it progressively got worse. Your behavior started to become more aggressive and the delusions became more extreme. In fact.." She flipped another piece of paper. "You were soon after diagnosed with multiple personalities at the age of nine, only a year after you were emitted here. Your mental illness was all but well."

Looking up from the paper, the woman glanced at Hinata, before looking back down. "Your reports soon after though, showed a sudden change." A sudden edge came on the woman's voice.

"Not long after you were diagnosed with multiple personalities, you regression in mental stability was reported to have...stopped."

Hinata shifted in her seat, becoming increasingly uncomfortable.

"Your delusions and hallucinations were suddenly dying down, your aggressive behavior was simmering down to a calm, almost stoic, attitude, and your multiple personality diagnosis was being put aside. Less medication was needed and your stability was progressing at an alarming rate. And yet, you were never diagnosed as having a level mental stability." Ms. Takona stopped then, and looked at Hinata with narrowed eyes. Hinata merely looked back.

Another silence engulfed the room.

Hinata watched the woman in front of her, taking in her upset demeanor.

"What is the point of all of this?" Hinata finally asked, not wanting to be in the same room as this woman any longer.

Sighing, Ms. Takona uncrossed her legs and put the clip board down.

"Miss Hyuga... The reason for my being here..is to release you from this hospital." The woman stated.

Hinata stiffened. Release her? She would be released? A cloud of emotions started to overcome her. She has been here for ten long years.. She thought she would never leave this place, be forever imprisoned in a mental hospital. And now..now she could be free.

Ms. Takona watched as a wave of emotion seemed to cover face, the first she has seen since she started talking. Happiness splayed across her features. She seemed to radiate with joy at the news.

Hinata's mouth turned into a huge grin, unable to keep it away. It was just so unexpected, so incredibly wonderful! To be able to leave this place forever, to go into the world free. It's something she never thought a possibility.

Being here...she could never escape it. It didn't matter how much she tried, she could never leave this place. Whether it be security, or her problem, something always kept her. She had stopped trying a long time ago, thinking she would be in this place forever. But no longer! It was almost too good to be true.. Hinata's grin then suddenly dropped.

The woman watched the sudden change in mood.

Hinata frowned, no long smiling in joy. Her thoughts scrambled around, suddenly not liking this situation. It was too good to be true. Way too good. Something was up. Why, after ten long years, was she suddenly deemed to leave. She has been acting the same for years ever since she taught herself to hide her inner turmoil. There was no change, aside from her ever persistent nightmares. This didn't seem right.

"Why?" Hinata asked, now also narrowing her eyes. The woman leaned back in her seat, surprised at the sudden change.

"Why? Why do you care? Isn't the satisfaction of leaving good enough?" Ms. Takona question, perplexed. But then she thought, this girl... To her, she was unworthy of leaving, but she wasn't stupid. Maybe she caught on..

Hinata didn't answer, but waited for an answer to her question. The woman stared at the Hyuga for a moment before folding her arms. The doctor stood in the corner, watching all of this, and saying nothing. Her eyes stayed on Hinata, worrying for the young female.

"Listen Hyuga.." She started, going back to her annoyed tone. "When you came here, you were only supposed to be here for a few months. Your case came in court a few times, and it was decided, even though it goes against rule of conduct, that you were to stay here for a year because of how severely damaged you seemed to be. But..there was an influence that persuaded the judge that ruled your case to keep you in here until you were deemed sane.. As you can see, that diagnosis was never made...for some reason.." Her eyes shot to the doctor, and the woman looked down in response, ashamed. Her eyes went back to Hinata. "And now, it seems that influence wants you back home."

Hinata's eyes watched the floor as the woman before her spoke. She took everything in slowly, ingesting every piece of information that she was never aware of. Of course she had a feeling that something shady was happening around her all these years, but never knew exactly what it was. And maybe..this wasn't even the full extent.

She clenched her hands, letting her fingernails dig into her skin. Anger started to boil within her, making her face blush red with furiosity.

"You mean.. You mean my..." She couldn't even complete the question it burned her so much. How dare he!

"Yes, Miss Hyuga.. You're father requests your return." Just hearing it caused Hinata to lash out. She stood abruptly, knocking her chair over in the process. She could see her doctor in the corner step forward, preparing to call for help. Hinata paid her no mind, too consumed in this new information that surrounded her.

She bared her teeth, snarling at nothing. She turned her back, and started pacing. Her fists still clenched, if not harder, she tried her best to sustain her rising anger, but the more she thought of her father, the more she wanted to rip into something.

Something within her stirred, quivered even. She paid no mind to it, still fuming. Hot, angry tears threatened to fall. Her thoughts couldn't escape the white eyed man that infiltrated her thoughts, that littered and polluted her mind until she was nearly blinded by how much she truly hated him.

She hadn't felt this way since she was a child, hadn't felt the need to harm until now.

Her eyes suddenly widened as she halted. The stirring within her was growing, as if she could feel something within her trying to free itself. The angrier she got, the more she felt it. She could _not_ continue like this.

More frustrated and pissed than ever, Hinata abruptly turned. Yelling out in irritation, she kicked her chair, causing it to fly across the room and crash into the far wall.

Hinata just stood there, breathing hard, with tears flowing freely down her face.

The tension in the room was thick. No one moved, with Hinata's hard breathing the only audible sound.

Feeling something wet and sticky on her hands, she looked down at them. Blood seeped from the gashes that she had made from her fingernails on the palm of her hands. Releasing her fists, while not even noticing the slight pain, she looked up and blinked. She hadn't even seen the doctor move across the room. She had the door open, with two big security guards at the entry way, ready to grab Hinata at any second. For some reason, this fact caused a flash of annoyance to come across her. Hinata bared her teeth at the intruding men, daring them to touch her. The both of them came fully in then, ready to grab. The voice of the woman halted everything.

"Another reason I am utterly irritated with the situation." Hinata looked away from the men and locked eyes with the now standing woman.

"Excuse me?" Her voice was rough and low, holding venom in it. Hearing it come out of her one mouth snapped Hinata out of her defensive mode. She didn't sound like herself, at all. A cold shiver went down her spine at the thought.

Shifting feet, the woman sighed. "I never thought it was right to have a child in here for this long. The thought just angers me.. But, I will not deny that there is something unsettling about you. Look at yourself...do you think you're any saner than the day you walked in?"

"What? You think I should stay?" Hinata snapped at her. Any and all calmness she had left her completely

The woman frowned. "The situation is a double sword. You've been here for ten years, way longer than you should of been. But.." She made sure Hinata held her eyes while she spoke. "I don't know what it is, but there's something...off, about you. For all I know, you might just need to stay here in a secluded area where you can't yourself...or anyone." Hinata bit her lip from lashing out again.

"Listen, all these years you been supposedly better, but I believe it was all bullshit honestly. No one gets better that quick. You've been holding it in all these years, and quite well actually...until now that is. But, it doesn't matter what I think. I'm just here to release you."

The woman strode across the room, Hinata's eyes never leaving her. When she reached the door, she turned to Hinata one last time.

"I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it doesn't feel right.. Be safe." As the woman was about depart, Hinata spoke up.

"Wait!" She called out, causing Ms. Takona to stop and look back. Hinata turned to face her.

"Why did you tell me all of this? You could of released me without another word?" Curiosity got Hinata.

Ms. Takona looked at Hinata. "Because considering everything you've probably been through to even be here, it wouldn't of been fair to you." That was all she said before finally departing. The sound of her clicking heels filled Hinata's ears as it slowly faded down the hallway.

All was silent afterwards, until Hinata sighed. It was time to go.

* * *

She sat in her on her bed, staring at her now bandaged hands. It wasn't a surprise that they had security follow her to her room and stand outside it after her little episode. Right now, they awaited for her to be ready so they could escort her to the waiting room in the front of hospital where apparently, someone was waiting for her. Probably one of her father's servants, a branch member. Maybe if she was lucky, she could escape this someone. Thinking it over, she was determined not to get sucked back into her father's hands. Going back home meant going back to hell for her. If she were to ever go back, it would be for one person, and one person only, and that person was her mother.

Sorrow pierced her as she thought of the woman who always cared and loved for ever. Hinata clutched her heart, feeling as if it were to burst as it ached. Though her mother never visited, she still missed her. She never expected her family to come and see her, but she had always hoped her mother would. But even though she didn't, and though that fact deeply hurt, she still longed for her warmth and love. She wondered how she was doing right now, if she was well...

Hinata looked out at the window. She had to be doing ok. It was her mom. She was strong, she could get through anything.

Standing, Hinata gave this place a final look. This was the last time she would be here, and for once, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. For years she dreamt of this moment, and now that the moment was here...

Sighing, she slung her pack of belongings over her back. Facing the door, and walked over and grabbed the knob. As she did though, a sudden chill slithered through her. She felt..colder. Pausing, she stood still for a moment, not liking the unnatural chill.

As she seemed to contemplate this, a feeling of eyes on her grabbed her attention. Definitely not liking the sensation, Hinata turned around, looking around the room.

Nothing.

_'Maybe it's just nerves..'_ She told herself. Shaking her head, she left the room, and this time, never returning.

As the door closed shut, a figure came into view, watching, as she always had. A devious smile came onto her lips. Finally, it was time...

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**Thanks for reading. Please review.**


	2. Introduced

**Author's Note:** Here's chapter two. Enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

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_**Spirit Awaken**_

_**Chapter II**_

_**Introduced**_

* * *

Hinata couldn't stop staring. It was just so unexpected..

She had expected a branch member to come and pick her up. Heck, ten branch members coming to get her would make a whole lot more sense than this.

Hinata watched the Hyuga male, traced over his features, his hair, everything...he was no doubt older and more mature, but he was unmistakably her older cousin, Neji.

She pursed her lips, trying to logically examine her situation. Neji, her cousin, her once servant and guardian, was here. In the flesh. Sure, it _should_ make sense that her once protector would be the one to pick her up. But it didn't. When she had lived with her family, Neji was everything _but_ the ideal older cousin. He was cold, distant, scrutinizing, and silently cruel. Just like her father..

She never had blamed him though. It was hard for him, dealing with his mother's death, than soon after loosing his father. Being adopted by an unpleasant uncle, then being thrown into duty as a young kid to be her guardian, made it obvious why he treated her with such resentment. She had always known. In his eyes, she had everything he could never have, and did not deserve it. Hinata was weak to him.

She had known this fact ever since he moved in with them, seeing the constant despair within his eyes. He was a child who was angry, and depressed over the death of his parents.

It was funny though. When her childhood started to become harder under the hands of her father, it was then that Neji started to show the slightest signs of care toward Hinata.

Maybe it grew while she was gone...

Neji looked over at Hinata, catching her staring, again. A blush came on her face from being caught, once again, and looked away immediately. Neji smirked, it seemed that old habits die hard.

Hinata, with her face turned away, looked out of the window, watching as they passed shop after shop. She was surprised she recognized any of it. It's been so long since she was out in the town. Or out, period. The people..the fresh air..the noise of browsing shoppers..she missed it all.

Though she had to admit, not much had changed. Everything seemed to have frozen in her absence.

Looking down, Hinata pressed her hands together. She had the enormous urge to twiddle her fingers as she once did when she was a child. She refused to go back to those habits. Sighing, Hinata turned to her cousin.

"Neji.."

"Hm?" He acknowledged her. They hadn't spoken at all to each other yet, not even back at the hospital. Hinata had been too shocked to do anything at first but to stare at him. It took her a moment to finally move, giving him a huge hug after her mind seemed to finally click in to what was happening. It was the only human contact she had experienced, besides being pinned by security during her stay, since she had left home. It had taken Neji a whole minute to hug her back.

Hinata turned her body so she could face him completely.

"Neji..listen, I can't go back there..back to the Hyuga estate. I..I just can't."

He didn't respond right away, staring straight ahead at the road. Hinata watched him. She knew he had heard her, so she patiently waited for a response.

Not too long after she spoke did the car slow down to a stop. Neji put it in park and turned off the ignition. He leaned back into his seat fully and sighed. He turned his head to his younger cousin. Unlike when they were in the hospital, wishing to only leave the place, his eyes took her in fully.

In so many ways she was different. She had grown into a beautiful young woman. Her once short, indigo hair now flowed down to her hips. Her features were no longer merely pretty, but beautiful. Her figure had filled out completely as well. Neji blinked. His baby cousin had grown up. Even her habits seemed to have disappeared. Well, most of them. She still seemed to blush horribly, but her nervous habit of twiddling her fingers and stuttering had gone, much to his appease.

His eyes wandered to her eyes. He could see the emotional scars that tainted them. Her eyes, different from any other Hyuga because of its seemingly unnatural lavender tint, were clouded. Her eyes, which once held hope, and even innocence, changed as well. But that innocence had died when she was a child, a young girl who had still lived with him. The hope though, even if most was gone, seemed to still dwindle within her.

Maybe hope of change?

But, regardless of her many differences, he could still see the same Hinata he once guarded. Except this time, she seemed a lot stronger.

Neji blinked again at himself. He never had a good relationship with his cousin. Even now he felt..strange, with her. As if he were her guardian once more. He wasn't sure how he felt about that.

There were so many things that gave him reason to keep his distance, especially now. So any thoughts of trying to make up a broken relationship seemed to be out of the question.

"Neji?" Neji snapped out of his thoughts and focused back on the female in front of him. Remembering her earlier statement, he spoke.

"You were never going to go back." He said. It was Hinata's turn to blink. She stared at him, now completely confused, and utterly disbelieving. It took her a second to respond.

"What?"

Neji shifted in his seat, now looking away from her. To his own confusion, he couldn't look at her as he spoke.

"You are not returning to the Hyuga estate. It was arranged, by your father, for me to take you in as your new temporary guardian." He stated as matter-of-fact. Hinata shook her head, now completely confused.

"Wait. This doesn't make sense. Why was this arrangement made?"

"Well Hinata, your not eighteen yet. At least, not for a few months. You need a legal guardian until then, and-"

"Neji, that is not what I mean and you know it." Hinata interrupted him, slightly irritated at him for changing the direction of her question. He wasn't stupid, in fact, he was incredibly intelligent. He simply was avoiding the answer she wanted. Another reason to confuse her.

He looked back at his cousin. Her eyes were narrowed, and her lips held a frown.

_'Hm. I think this is the first time she has ever looked like a true Hyuga.'_ He mentally shook his head at the thought. His younger cousin was never one of them, no matter how stoic she acted or how angry she was. It was one of the reasons she had always..intrigued him, per say. She was different, and still was.

"I know my father got me out of there." Neji suddenly heard his cousin say.

"Hinata, they deemed you...stable, and released you. I know you believe your father has a part in this, but-"

"Of course he has a part in this! He's the one who-"

"That's not the case. He has had no part in your stay-"

"Neji, you know that's-

"And has only tried to protect you."

"Neji that's bull shit and you know it!" Hinata yelled out at her cousin. Neji quieted at the out burst, taken aback. She has never yelled out at anyone before, never. Only one other time has it happened..

He watched her carefully. Her face was flushed red, obviously with anger. But there was something about her suddenly...something off. Her eyes were different. Staring into them, they seemed to bore into him completely. He had to look away.

Hinata saw his reaction and immediately recoiled back into her seat. She hadn't realized she was so close to Neji, nor becoming so angry at the conversation. She gritted her teeth as that same presence within her seemed to rage inside her again.

Breathing in and out slowly, Hinata tried her best to calm down. She was still annoyed, but less...jumpy.

She looked back up at him, only to meet his calculating gaze. Seeing him, then realizing how her temper got the better of her, again, she shook her head in frustration.

"I'm sorry Neji. I..I didn't mean to lash out. It's just.." She sighed out, then looked straight into his eyes. "I'm not stupid. I might not know what the deal is, but I didn't stay in that place for all those years because there was something wrong with me. And I wasn't suddenly allowed to leave because of good behavior either."

"So what are you saying? That your father kept you in there?" His tone implied she was out of her head, but she knew better..

The woman who released her earlier that day had told her of her father, of how he had kept Hinata basically imprisoned in a mental hospital. But, Neji is telling her this is not the case, that he was trying to protect her.

For so many reasons, the woman's theory seemed way more plausible. So why would Neji lie to her?

_"I don't know what's going on, but whatever it is, it doesn't feel right.."_ The woman's words echoed in her her head.

Hinata bit her lip. Something wasn't right. This whole situation was off. Even Neji wasn't right on. Maybe it was because she knew him, but it was obvious he was lying to her face.

"All I'm saying Neji, is that everything seems off. As heir of the clan and nearly eighteen, I at least expected to be called back to the estate."

Neji nodded his head, practically expecting this statement.

"He understands that. But because you have just come back, and have a bit of a...rocky relationship, he wanted to give you time to adjust. And besides, I did say temporary, did I not?" Hinata bit the inside of her lip, nodding her head.

Neji unbuckled his seat belt and opened his door.

"Come on, let's go inside."

He exited the vehicle and started walking away, from the car and the conversation. He did not wait for the younger Hyuga.

Hinata watched him retreat. He completely dismissed their disagreement, avoiding it. It was so unlike Neji to walk away from a problem. This fact stunned her for a moment. Sighing out, she decided to put the conversation on hold as well.

She grabbed her pack and slipped out of the car. Closing it, she looked around. She hadn't even realized they were parked on a driveway.

Her eyes followed the black pavement up towards the house. They traveled high, her head now pulled back to get a better view.

This wasn't a house, no chance. It was so much bigger and...elegant. A mansion would be a better word for it.

Tearing her eyes off of the massive place, Hinata started walking towards the front door.

Neji stood there patiently, awaiting his cousin.

Coming up to him, Neji turned and led her inside. Hinata's eyes widened at the sight. If she thought the outside was amazing, this was beyond words.

Everything she laid her eyes on looked pristine and utterly beautiful. Even the floor seemed to shine in radiance. The ceiling was high, stretching to a full three stories. Looking up, she could see glass. Bright, beautiful glass, set in patterns and aligned with metal. What was it called..a chandelier?

Her gaze traveled back down. She started to step forward, but stopped herself. Looking at herself, than at the beautiful entry way before her, she felt messy and unworthy of traveling another step inside.

She felt a hand come down on her shoulder and jumped slightly. Looking up, she saw Neji glancing at her.

"You're free to come in Hinata. For the time being, this is your home too." He took his hand away then.

Hinata nibbled on her lip, silently debating. Curiosity of the rest of the mansion got the better of her. She stepped out of her shoes and started inside.

Neji walked forward, following behind Hinata. He watched as she went past the main archway, then froze in awe. She was completely consumed the by architectural beauty of it all. To her, it seemed that every detail of this place was done in a precise manner. The plants were set at a perfect angle to the windows, the layout of the room was orderly and nice, and the even walls seemed to be very specific in their distance.

Hinata looked at Neji. "Was this place custom made?" He smirked at her. Of course she would pick up on the details.

"No. I was given this place some time ago. But I did change it up a bit."

Hinata glanced over everything then back at him. "It looks like you." Neji didn't reply, but just stood there, taking in the surroundings himself.

"Hey Neji?"

"Hm?"

"How long have you been here?"

He didn't respond immediately.

"Since I turned sixteen." Hinata rose her eyebrows at him. He interpreted her silent question and shrugged. "I needed my own space. It's not like I moved far away."

Hinata slowly nodded her head. "How far away is the estate?"

"Not far, a few blocks away." Hinata didn't respond. Neji took the opportunity to address her.

"Hinata?" He waited until he had her full attention. She looked at him after one last glance around.

"Would you like to see your room?" He asked. Hinata's eyes widened at his request.

"My room?" Hinata whispered out. Neji raised an eyebrow at his younger cousin.

"Did you expect to sleep on the floor?"

"No, I wasn't thinking that...it's just..." Hinata didn't know how to explain herself. It's been a while since anyone has done her any kindness, or any favors at the least, so it took her a back a bit to hear that Neji was giving her a room.

Neji turned from her, knowing what she was trying to say. He didn't want her to continue the sentence. He just started walking towards the stairs, assuming she would follow.

Hinata watched him walk away for a second, taking in his sudden leave. Hesitating, she followed suite, thinking to herself. Apparently he could still read her easily and apparently, he wasn't comfortable with what he was seeing.

The two walked to the second floor, Hinata's eyes taking in every corner.

They finally reached a door at the end of the hall. Neji took hold of the knob and opened it, stepping inside and out of Hinata's sight. She took a tentative step in and froze. Her eyes wide, she took in what was supposed to be her room. _Her_ room.

Temporary or not, it was beautiful. Lavender walls, dark brown furniture...the simplicity of it made it all the more appealing.

Hinata looked at Neji. He was watching her, standing next to the wall beside her.

Unexpectedly, Hinata went to him and put her arms around her older cousin.

Neji stood there, surprised.

Hinata held him close, burying her face in his chest. Neji could be a jerk, but this had to be the nicest thing she has ever received, especially from him.

"Thank you Neji. It's beautiful." Letting him go, Hinata looked up at Neji. Looking away, he mumbled.

"It's nothing." Smiling, Hinata turned and walked further into the room, taking in every corner and every detail. Her eyes roamed the large bed. She never had a bed this big before. Her fingers touched the soft covers, feeling the texture. She pondered for a moment if it was truly soft as it felt. She wanted to test this inquiry out, but decided to hold it off for later.

Moving her attention away, her eyes caught a door on the other side of the room.

"Where does that lead to?"

Neji looked up at the place she was pointing to. Unable to hold down a smirk, he answered her question.

"That's a closet Hinata."

"Oh." A blush etched on Hinata's face in embarrassment. Of course it was a closet, what else could it be?

A sudden melody ringed throughout the mansion, startling Hinata. She jumped, and edged toward her cousin.

Neji looked down at her, his eyebrows pulled up.

"The doorbell?" Neji shook his head as realization hit Hinata, and another blush came across her. He stepped from her and out of her room.

"I'll be back in a moment, feel free to continue to look around." Neji said over his shoulders as he walked away. Hinata watched his retreating back. It wasn't until he completely left and heard his descending feet going down the stairs did she loosen up.

She shook her head at herself, slightly ashamed. She couldn't believe how ignorant she was to simple household functions and formats. Embarrassed with herself, she continued to look around.

Once again entranced by her room, it completely held her attention. Until she heard voices coming from down stairs.

They were only mumbles from up here, but she could make out a few words. Curiosity burning in her, Hinata walked out of her room and across the hallway. She slowed down some when she came to the stairs, and halted when she saw their forms. Quickly kneeling down near the entrance of the staircase and behind a nearby plant, she peeked around the decoration and looked down at the multiple figures.

The one she must of initially heard was talking, loudly and cheerfully. He was a blonde, blue eyed boy. As he spoke, he smiled, and it seemed to light up the room.

"You should of been there Neji! It was hilarious!"

"Hn, it was only funny to you dobe." Hinata's eyes traveled to the other voice, and immediately got chills down her spine. Inwardly, she recoiled. Pausing, she knitted her eyebrows together, leaning forward to get a better look at this person. The sudden feeling to run had her curious. He was standing next to the blonde, his arms crossed, obviously not wanting to be there. He had black hair that spiked out, along with black charcoal eyes.

Wait.. Hinata leaned in further. Taking a long look at him. There was something familiar about him. Something _very_ familiar. Then it hit her.

Eyes wide, she snapped her head to her cousin, then back to the black eyed boy. This familiar boy. He was an Uchiha! And not just any Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha. The name hit her hard.

Something stirred in her. She unconsciously clutched her stomach, as if holding whatever what was inside her in.

This was wrong, so wrong. What was Sasuke doing here? In a Hyuga mansion? Both clans were supposed to be up in arms against each other.. There must of been a lot more change here than she thought.

Memories of clan meetings as a young girl flooded her. Watching as her father and the Uchiha clan leader fight constantly, yelling threats and calling for war. The tension between the two was so great that any ties that the two had with one another had been completely severed.

One of her fondest memory of the Uchiha clan was being in a room with the two sons of the clan leader. Itachi Uchiha, the oldest, was quiet and very intelligent. She was always fond of him. Even in the few short moments she's been with him, he has always treated her kindly.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was another story. He was quiet, like his brother. But, unlike his brother, he was brutally outspoken and downright rude. To say the least, she didn't like him too much.

Now, seeing him suddenly, she wondered if their clans finally rekindled.

As she watched him, she suddenly felt eyes on her. The feeling was heavy on her body. Again, narrowing her brows, she turned to where she felt the eyes and nearly jumped in surprise. She hadn't even seen him, he just blended into the background.

Standing behind the conversing males was a tale, dark figure. His deep red hair seemed to contrast with his pale skin. His eyes, a beautiful sea green, watched her with intensity. Her whole body seemed to go numb from his stare. She then noticed dark black circles around his eyes. She wondered if it was from lack of sleep.

With his arms crossed and him leaning on the wall, he stood there, and currently, watching her.

She stared back, unable to look away.

Sasuke stood behind the blonde, listening to his idiot friend talk. Impatience was wearing on him heavily. All this small talk didn't settled with him too well.

Annoyed, he looked around him, trying keep his attention occupied. He looked back at Gaara for a second, and noticed his attention was else where.

Following his eyesight, he spotted a large plant next to the banister where the entrance of the staircase was. At his first initial glance, he saw nothing. But after watching the plant for a few seconds, he spotted a very slight movement behind it. Narrowing his eyes, he looked back at his red haired friend. Gaara didn't even notice Sasuke looking at him, and that alone interested him.

"Neji." Sasuke waited until he had the Hyuga's attention. Neji looked from his chattering friend to the Uchiha.

"What?"

"You didn't tell us you had company."

Hinata's head snapped back to Sasuke, eyes wide. He saw her!

Neji's brow knitted together as he turned around, facing the staircase. Hinata cursed under her breath as she decided to come out of hiding, and stood.

Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden figure.

"What the, where the heck did she come from!" Both Sasuke and Gaara rolled their eyes at the oblivious blonde.

"Hinata, come down." Was Neji's quiet demand. Hinata heard the irritation under his voice. Grabbing hold of the banister, Hinata slowly made her way down the stairs.

Reaching ground level, she kept her hand on the banister end, clutching it tightly to keep herself from twiddling her fingers.

Neji came up next to Hinata and placed a firm hand on her shoulder, squeezing it a bit. The squeeze was a bit too tight. Hinata looked up Neji, not liking the touch at all.

"Everyone, this is my younger cousin, Hinata." Moving her irritated gaze from her cousin, she looked back at the three boys. Before she could say a word, her hand was grabbed into two larger ones.

Eyes widened, she looked up. It was the blonde, showing his bright teeth to her as he smiled widely.

"Hey there." Hinata couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips, it seemed to be contagious. This blonde just radiated happiness.

An annoyed grunt came from behind Hinata, but she ignored her cousin.

"Hinata, this is Naruto." Hinata nodded.

"It is..nice to meet you Naruto."

Naruto's smile widened even more, if that was possible.

"So I'm guessing you're related to the grouch over there." Hinata giggled at the blonde's question. Neji only glared.

"I am his cousin."

"Cousins, huh?" Naruto looked up at Neji. "I don't know man. I've just met her and she's already nicer to be around than you. You sure you two are related?" Neji resisted the urge to smack the blonde. Naruto laughed at the Hyuga's annoyed face. Shaking her head, Hinata grinned at him.

Releasing her hand, her eyes went to the male standing next to Naruto. Her eyes seemed to travel from light to darkness. Sasuke definitely didn't radiate any kind of brightness or have a contagious smile.

"And this is-"

"Sasuke. I know, I remember." Hinata fully faced the Uchiha. He smirked down at her, causing a shiver to run down her back.

"How do you know this teme?" Naruto questioned, confused.

"Our clans have history baka. We've met through meetings and such when we were kids." Sasuke retorted at his friend, never taking his eyes off of the Hyuga in front of him.

Taking an opportunity, he spoke before she could. "It's nice to see the Hyuga heir once again." Sasuke addressed Hinata formally. Taking her hand into his, as Naruto did, he held it up to his lips and kissed it gently.

Hinata's eyes widened at the action, as did everyone else. Even Gaara couldn't help but stare at him in shock.

Raising his head to look straight into Hinata's eyes, he didn't release her hand as he spoke once more.

"Tell me Hinata.." He paused for a moment, tasting her name on his tongue. "..how was your stay away from home?"

Any new found thought of Sasuke completely diminished as Hinata snatched her hand away from the Uchiha, her face now completely red in anger.

Sasuke chuckled as he stood straight up, amused at Hinata's sudden rage.

It took everything within Hinata to keep from smacking that smile right off his face. Her hands clutched into fists as a scowl started to form on her lips.

"Sasuke." A clear voice rang through the room. Sasuke looked up at Hinata's older cousin. His tone was clear in wanting him to stop.

Shrugging, Sasuke put up his hands, still grinning. He looked back down at Hinata.

"Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend." His tone was mocking and Hinata caught it. She bit her tongue from calling him out. Instead, she nodded her head, and turned to her cousin.

"Excuse me, I think I left something in the kitchen." She stated curtly. Looking away and back at the men in front of her, her eyes went to the offending Uchiha. "It was nice to meet all of you."

With that, she turned on her heel, and walked away from the males, not sure if the kitchen was this way, or even where she was going. But it didn't matter. As long as she was away from Sasuke, she didn't care.

All four of them watched her retreating form. No one spoke for a few moments.

Naruto turned towards Sasuke with a frown on his face.

"What the hell was that all about?" He demanded, not happy with how his friend treated the smaller Hyuga. He had no clue why it upset her, but regardless, it did. And Sasuke seemed to thrive in it.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at the blonde and shrugged before walking further into the mansion. Naruto, still a little irritated, followed his friend.

Neji stood there. He looked to where his cousin walked away.

Feeling a gaze on him, he looked at the red head, who was staring right at him. His usually relaxed stance was suddenly tense.

"What?" Neji snapped, more than annoyed at the moment.

Gaara didn't reply, but only stared.

Neji shook his head and walked off muttering. "Whatever."

* * *

Hinata sat on the isle, her head in her hands with her feet dangling. Apparently, she had, indeed, been walking on the path towards the kitchen. But the minute she sat down, all her raging emotions seemed to flood her.

A great pain covered her chest. She felt as if someone was was trying to push themselves out of her. Her whole body felt very warm, with sweat pouring from her. She felt absolutely horrible. It took all her might not to moan out in pain. Gritting her teeth, tears started to well up in her eyes.

A very subtle, but sudden noise caught her attention in the kitchen. Her head automatically snapped up to find the source of the sound, and she immediately regretted it.

She couldn't help the moan that came from her as her head started to throb and ache from the motion. Holding onto the sides of her head, her eyes went back up to the source of her initial movement.

Gaara stood there, just inside the kitchen, watching her.

He had followed her retreating footsteps the second Neji was out of his sight. Standing there in the open, he began to wonder why he had followed. Maybe it was curiosity over her strange behavior. Maybe he was just bored.. Or maybe how her cousin just stood there caused him to do what Neji should be doing instead.. No, probably just curiosity. But either way, he was there, and she was aware of him.

He didn't expect to see this though. Her face was skewered in agony, and the redness that looked to have covered her completely seemed to radiate heat. It's only been about a minute since she walked off and she was an utter mess.

Hinata hated this. Hated how she was in pain. Hated how she felt helpless. Hated how a boy she had just met, or stared at basically, was watching her whither under this cursed agony. Hated how Sasuke verbally mocked her. And most of all, she hated how her cousin wasn't here, at all. Not even to check up on her after all of that.

All of these thoughts caused a greater pain. Bending over, a wave of nausea took over her. She wanted to run to a trash can, even the sink. But the movement would only make things worse. She let out another moan, except this time it sounded more like a cry.

A feel of a hand came a top of her back. She would of looked up if she didn't think the contents of her stomach would come up along too.

Gaara stood there, awkward as ever, with his hand on Hinata's back. After seeing her cry out, his legs seemed to automatically move towards her. He rationalized that since she was practically keeling over, he either might as well help or leave. And since he damned well knew he didn't want to be in the same room as Neji, he decided to help.

And this is the most he could honestly say he's ever done for anyone. Ever.

So not knowing what to do, he put his hand on her back. Hopefully to show some kind of support..or something. His mind suddenly went to all the times his older brother got sick and how his sister would rub his back in circles with her hand. He never knew why, but it seemed to give some sort of relief.

Looking at the girl beneath him, he tried it.

Hinata felt his hand move in a circular motion on her back, soothing her. In a way, it was helping her a little bit. At least she could focus on something other than her pounding body.

Letting her mind follow the pattern of his hand, her body started to relax a little after a few minutes. She was still in pain, but not as much. A sigh of relief escaped her lips.

Gaara couldn't believe it, it worked. Looking at his hand, he pondered. Maybe there was some kind of trick to this.

Hinata started to sit back up, her hands curling around her stomach. Gaara took his hand away from her and stepped back.

Sitting up completely, she sighed out. Looking at Gaara, she gave him a small smile.

"Thank you."

Gaara gave her a blank stare, resisting the urge to look behind him, thinking she was talking to someone else. She thanked him. Him. Now that's a first. But wait, wasn't there something you were supposed to say back? Oh wait, there was.

"You're welcome." He muttered out so softly, Hinata barely caught it.

A silence came after that, both in their own thoughts. Hinata sat there, waiting for her body to finally calm down. It wasn't until the nausea went away completely did she take her arms away from her stomach.

Looking at the red head, finally getting a closer view, she noted how much taller and..handsome, he was up close.

Gaara felt eyes on him and looked down at the staring girl, causing her own eyes to dart away and a blush to overtake her features. He wondered if she was getting sick again.

"U-Um.." He heard her stutter out. Hinata cursed herself. She really would never be free of her stuttering, would she?

Trying again, she looked up at the one person who helped her.

"Neji never did tell me your name.."

Gaara stared at her for a second before understanding her implication.

"Gaara Sabaku." Hinata nodded, taking in his name. She noticed for the first time how deep and husky his voice was, causing her blush to deepen.

"Hinata Hyuga." She put her hand out to him. Gaara looked at the offered hand, his eyes narrowing slightly. Looking up at the girl, than back down at the hand, he slowly put his hand out. Tentatively, he grabbed hold of hers. Her grip was firm next to his own, which honestly, surprised him. He expected it be limp, like he's seen most females do.

In their embraced hands, both noticed how warm each other's skin was.

Hinata looked down at their combined hands. They seemed to fit together, perfectly.

Gaara stood there, confused as ever. He's faced many enemies, defeated many opponents and dealt with a lot of crap in the past, but never has he held the hand of a female before, especially not one who willingly allowed it.

As his thoughts wondered, Hinata finally realized that they've been holding hands for some time. Her faced reddened even more. Gaara noticed and let her hand go then, and to the both of their surprises, a loss was felt once the contact was gone.

"You're getting sick again." It was more of a statement than a question. Hinata looked at him quizzically before understanding, and to Gaara's wonder, got even redder.

Hinata put her hands to her cheeks. They were warm, but not like before.

"N-No...I'm fine. I'm not sick anymore."

Gaara watched as Hinata looked away from his penetrating gaze. If she wasn't sick, than why was she getting so red? Unless she was..

If he had eyebrows, they would of rose incredibly.

"You're blushing." His tone was incredulous. Hinata bit her lip, deciding not to respond. Gaara noticed her nervous demeanor, how she nibbled on her bottom lip and for a moment, was entranced by the action.

Noticing his stare and where they focused on, Hinata fought hard not to squirm.

Realizing where his focus was, Gaara inwardly shook himself of this little infatuation and looked again at the Hyuga's eyes.

"Why?"

Blinking, Hinata looked at the redhead.

"W-What?"

"Why are you blushing?"

Hinata wanted to die. She's rather go back to her agony than answer _that_ question. Gulping, she stumbled to find something to say. Anything.

"U-Um..I-I..um.. I just.." Her stuttering got worse the more she tried to explain herself. And it didn't help that Gaara's gaze never left her.

As she stumbled over her words, Gaara stood there dumbfounded. Her stuttering and blushing left him baffled. Maybe she was sicker than he thought.

After miserably trying to explain herself, she just stopped talking. She felt over heated, and on the verge of passing out. Pressing her lips together, and forcing her self to calm down a little, she thought of an actual coherent response to give him.

"I blush easily." It was vague, but good enough for the both of them.

Satisfied that she ended the conversation, Hinata slid off of the counter. She didn't land evenly since her legs were a little shaky. Turning herself to the sink, she turned on the water and splashed it on her face, letting the coolness of it calm her down.

Head cleared, she turned off the faucet.

"What happened back there?" Hinata turned around as she dried her face with a near by towel. Gaara had leaned against the isle, arms once again crossed. Leaning against the sink herself, she sighed. He was referring to her little episode.

She wanted to say it was nothing, that she just had a dramatic episode because she was so stressed. That nothing was wrong with her and everything was fine. But that would be lie she didn't think she could say, because everything wasn't fine. Everything was a mess and she couldn't do a thing about it.

Shifting her weight, she folded her arms and asked a question of her own.

"Are you and my cousin not on good terms?"

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "You didn't answer my question."

Nodding her head, she kept her gaze on him. "I know."

"Hn." It didn't surprise him she wouldn't answer. Just from her body language, he could see the topic didn't sit right with her. But it wasn't his business, so he wouldn't persist.

Hinata waited, raising her eyebrows when he never answered.

"You never answered my question, so why should I answer yours?"

A grin came on Hinata's lips. "Fair enough."

Gaara blinked at her response. Again, this female perplexed him. That's twice he received a smile from her when most would frown. How strange...

* * *

Sasuke sat on the couch, his head leaning on his hand, thinking. As his knuckle headed friend babbled to Neji, evidently forgetting to be upset with him, he tuned the two out, engrossed in his thoughts. Or more specifically, engrossed in the young female Hyuga not too far away.

Seeing her again, to say the least, was absolutely delightful. And without a doubt, she had definitely grown into a beautiful young woman. He remembered how pretty she was as a girl, but now, she was stunning.

And to top it off, her naive and innocent nature has seemed to have diminished, leaving something else. Something untamed and exotic. Something that stirred something within him.

He had never intended to say anything about her leave to the hospital, but looking into those lavender tinted eyes, seeing how much she was forcing down, he couldn't resist. The temptation to push her a little was too great to ignore. And her reaction was worth it. He loved it actually.

Unconsciously smirking, he felt excitement at the thought of being near her more. Testing her. Pushing her. And maybe, when he can get her alone, he can push her over the edge, in more ways than one.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke looked over to Naruto, who had turned in his seat to face him. Neji was looking at him too.

"Man, where were you? I've been calling your name!"

"Hn." Shaking his head, Naruto stood from his seat along with Neji.

"Thanks for having us over Neji. We gotta head out." Neji nodded to Naruto. His eyes than darted to Sasuke, his expression suddenly hard.

"Naruto." Sasuke called out. The blonde turned to him. "I'll catch up to you later. I'm going to hang out here a little longer."

Looking between the two, Naruto nodded, understanding what Sasuke was saying, and started walking out.

"Alright man, I'll be at my place."

Sasuke didn't respond. He waited along with Neji as they listen to Naruto walk out of the room and out of the front door. It wasn't until they heard the click of the door being closed did Neji fully turn to Sasuke.

"What the hell where you thinking?" His tone was hard, and angry even. Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at this.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't play with me Uchiha. You knew what you were doing."

"Oh, you mean with your little cousin?" Sasuke's tone was mocking as he sat up, looking at the standing Hyuga. "I simply wanted an introduction from her. A truthful one. And I received it."

"Don't you understand what you're dealing with? This isn't a game Sasuke. That isn't the same little girl you once knew." Neji questioned, fuming as he spoke.

Sasuke leaned forward this time. All mockery and fake innocence gone from his voice. "Oh, I know exactly what I'm dealing with Hyuga. That girl in there.." He nodded his head to where Hinata took off. "..holds something that both of our clans want. And in order to get it, her little defensive barrier that she's been building up over the years needs to be broken. A task given to yours truly."

Sasuke stood so he could be face to face to Neji.

"But what do you care?" He questioned, stepping closer to the Hyuga. "You said it yourself when you received your task, you hold no attachment to her."

Sasuke smirked at Neji's angry form, enjoying pissing him off.

"Don't get too arrogant Uchiha." Neji threatened.

"No promises." Sasuke sneered back.

Than as sudden as if a switched was turned off, Sasuke backed off and grinned.

"I'll take my leave now.. But first, I think I'll grab Gaara. Haven't seen him since the young princess stormed off."

The thought of the red haired man in his home further added to Neji's angry mood as he started towards where Hinata took off.

"Tell me again why you brought him into my home."

"To piss you off." Sasuke said as he watched Neji storm off.

"Tsk, no attachment my ass."

* * *

"I think there is something wrong with you." After refusing to answer her question, the kitchen had turned completely silent. It wasn't uncomfortable. Silence, for the both of them, was something they enjoyed. As they both just stood there, Gaara gazed over the indigo haired female across from him.

If he was being completely honest with himself, he would admit that she was, in fact, beautiful. From her indigo hair to her lavender tinted eyes, with her slightly pale skin and soft features, she was actually exotic. His eyes seemed to trace her, study her.

Hinata's knew she was being watched. She was trying not blush, or react to it at all, but the second her eyes met his, she panicked. Mumbling something out, she turned from him and started to walk around the isle. Forgetting how shaky her legs were still, she lost balance and fell, landing right on her head.

So here they both sat, at the kitchen table, with one holding an ice pack to her head, and other next to her, making sure she didn't fall out of her chair.

"I think so too." Hinata agreed, grinning at her seemingly own self destruction. Gaara shook his head at the female.

Just then, hurried footsteps could be heard coming towards them. They both looked up as a fuming Neji stepped into the room, eyes searching until they landed right on them. His eyes spotted Hinata holding an ice pack, and immediately he looked to Gaara.

"What happened." He demanded.

Hinata didn't speak, only looked ahead. Gaara spoke for her, seeing as she wasn't going to respond.

"She fell." He plainly put it.

Neji's eyes narrowed as he walked to his younger cousin.

"You fell?" He asked her, not trusting Gaara. She nodded her head, still not speaking. Neji's eyes scrutinized the two. Looking back at Gaara, then Hinata, he concluded to himself that she was alright.

"Gaara, Sasuke is waiting for you in the front."

Nodding, he stood from his spot and began to walked away.

"Wait!" He heard a voice from behind him. He stopped and turned, only to find Hinata. She had set aside her ice pack and stood in front of Gaara. Leaning down and taking one of his hands with both of hers, she squeezed it lightly and held it to her chest. Looking up into his eyes, she lightly spoke.

"Thank you, Gaara." Looking down for a moment, she then returned to his gaze. "It was very nice to meet you. I hope to see you again."

Hinata released his hand as he slowly pulled it back, speechless. Smiling, she walked out of the kitchen, passing her cousin without even a glance in his direction.

She made her way back to the main hall, walking towards the stairs that led to her room, when a voice called out to her from the front.

"What? No good-byes for me?"

She halted in her step upon hearing him. Breathing out, she slowly turned around. Sasuke stood near the front entrance, staring intently at her. Seeing as he had her attention, Sasuke started walking towards her. Hinata forced herself not to back up, to hold her ground.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to reach her. He stood right in front of her, giving her no room to look anywhere else but at him.

Clearing her throat, she looked up at his black charcoal eyes.

"Good-bye Sasuke." She said, her voice slightly hard.

Sasuke smirked down at her.

"Still a little mad I see." His hand raised up to her shoulder, holding it lightly. Hinata stopped herself from recoiling. "I hoped I didn't spoil my chances on starting some sort of friendship." His tone was low as he spoke.

He lowered his lips to her ear as he spoke once more. "But, regardless, you'll be seeing a whole lot more of me. And.." He leaned his head back, letting his eyes roam Hinata before settling them on hers. "...hopefully, I'll be seeing a whole lot more of you too." He didn't break their gaze, boring his stare into hers, making her understand his underlining meaning. Shivers ran down Hinata's back in response.

As footsteps were heard coming towards them, Sasuke let Hinata go, backing up a few steps. Hinata also backed up, suddenly feeling claustrophobic.

Neji entered the room with Gaara behind him, his expression stoic.

Turning, Sasuke started towards the door. Before completely leaving, he gave a wink to Hinata, and walked out.

Disregarding the gesture, Hinata moved her attention to Gaara, who was making his way to the door as well. He too, before leaving, paused at the door, giving her one last look. Hinata smiled in return.

The mansion grew quiet once the door was closed. Both Hyugas stood there, neither looking at the other. Hinata took this opportunity to steal herself as she turned and jogged up the stairs.

Neji sighed at her retreating form, rubbing his aching temple.

Hinata made her way inside her room, closing the door behind her. Walking inside, she sat at the edge of her bed, and flopping back on it. It seems that her earlier guess was right. The bed was as soft as it had felt.

As she laid there, she couldn't help but let her mind wander. Not wanting to dwell on anything negative, she found herself thinking of sea green eyes and red hair.

She had really appreciated what he did for her today. Soothing her, even if he seemed tense in doing so, was the best thing anyone could of done for her. She was loosing it, and he had helped.

But realizing how close she was to loosing herself, to giving in...it scared her. For years she had set barriers, keeping herself secure so that nothing could go wrong, and all that went completely down the drain today. And all it took, was the statement of an arrogant Uchiha for her to nearly snap. Going through that pain to keep herself in check was horrible. She has never had to fight so hard..

Was it the change in environment? Maybe she just wasn't strong enough.. But thinking about it, ever since she had received the memo that she would be leaving, her emotional stability went down hill. Maybe that was the problem. Maybe that hospital was the best place she could of been. Maybe being out here was more dangerous than she could of thought..

But that didn't matter now. She was here, and never going back to that wretched place. Keeping it in check would just be harder this time, especially with Sasuke. Seeming as he intended to be a problem for her.

Sitting up, she automatically put her hands on her stomach, and looked ahead, letting herself dwell into the silence. Savoring the quiet once more.

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**Thanks for reading. Please review.**


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